Rebirth of a Hero
by Selene-daughter of the sea
Summary: Thousands of years ago, Pokelantis sunk to sea saved by a spell the prince put after the land was in danger by enemies so dark the aura guardians feared them. One week after her Unova adventures ended, Ash Ketchum travels with Cilan and Iris to Rota for the festival and meet their friends. There they learn of the legend and what it means for them. Fem!Ash
1. Dreams

**Rebirth of a Hero**

**Author's note: Hello everyone, Selene-daughter of the sea here. Now, I know you all are tired of me continuously making a new story without updating my other ones, but this one has been bouncing around in my head for several days now.**

**Anyway, I would like feedback on this, as this is my first Pokémon story, though I will soon put up another one as I'm answering a challenge from another author. Oh, and for their first life names, I will be using their Japanese names, so as not to cause any confusion. I hope you all enjoy **_**Rebirth of a Hero**_**.**

**Key:**

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

~Pokémon translation~

"_Speech through Aura"_

_Dreams_

**Disclaimer: I don't own!**

Chapter 1~

Dreams

Dream sequence: _In a brightly lit room, that provided a view of the surrounding city, sat a young 12-year-old boy, with wild black hair, and warm brown eyes. Next to him was a Pikachu, who was looking at his friend with worry. The boy was the Crown Prince of Pokélantis, Satoshi, and he was busy writing in a small journal, eyes furrowed in concentration._

"_I'm fine, Pikachu. It's just; the dreams are starting to get more worrisome." Satoshi said, looking up and smiling slightly at his partner._

"_Pikapi, Pika, Pikachu?" ~Satoshi, are you sure? ~ Pikachu asked._

_Satoshi smiled. "I'm sure my friend. Besides, it's almost time for the ceremony for the ones that will be picked to train as an Aura Guardian. I was sought out as well, but father refused. Even Wataru, who is the heir of the Dragon clan, was allowed to be chosen as a Dragon Tamer, but father refuses to think that there could be something that I could do to help people besides just make rules and decrees." Satoshi said, standing up from the desk._

_Pikachu jumped on his shoulder, rubbing his cheek against Satoshi's._

"_Thanks, my friend." He said, heading for the door. As he got ready to open it, a blue-haired, blue-eyed girl in a white dress flew through it, hugging him._

"_Satoshi, you're almost late." The girl, his older half-sister Ibuki admonished. "Your father sent me to get you." The two shared the same mother, but Ibuki's father had died when she was young, and thus Satoshi's father brought her to the palace to be raised when he had fallen in love with her mother._

"_Sorry, Ibuki, I just had to write down that dream and some other things." Satoshi said, patting her head as they headed to the throne room for the ceremony._

_It was one of the biggest events of the year, with 7 youth chosen by an Aura guardian and then, before their training would begin, the ceremony that would bring forth their partner Pokémon. It was most often a Togetic for girls and a Meinfoo for the boys. Rarely, if the person was thought to be strong enough by aura itself, a Riolu would appear. That hadn't happened in several years though. With the training they received, the Pokémon, most often, would evolve to their next stage, making the bond they had with their human companion even stronger._

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_Satoshi sighed, watching as the six candidates were lined up in the middle of the room as he and Ibuki headed to where their father sat on his throne. Satoshi was supposed to have been out there as well, but his father had refused, thus he was stuck watching from the sidelines._

"_Come on, Satoshi, it's not all that bad." A voice said from beside them. Ibuki and Satoshi looked to their left and beamed._

"_Wataru," Ibuki cried, hugging her cousin. "You made it." She said._

"_Hello, Wataru." Satoshi said, nodding his head slightly._

"_Princess Ibuki, Prince Satoshi." Wataru said, lips twitching as he nodded hello._

"_Enough of that, you don't have to call us by our titles, Cousin." Satoshi said, laughing slightly._

"_I know, I just do it to tease you." He said. Wataru was tall, with shoulder length red hair and black eyes. As the next head of the Clan, he wore the heir symbol along with his outfit that stated him as a Dragon Tamer._

"_Wish you were out there, Satoshi?" He asked, nodding to the candidates._

"_Of course, but you know how my father is. He refused to let me be picked." Satoshi said, sighing._

_Pikachu 'chaa'ed in agreement, shaking his head._

"_I'm sure he had a good reason, Satoshi, but you never know. Something could happen in the next few minutes that takes the decision right out of his hands." Wataru said, smiling at the prince._

"_Maybe," Satoshi said. He sighed as all the speeches were finished and the head of the Guardians stepped forward, his staff in his hand (a/n: it's the same staff used by Sir Aaron in the movie 'Lucario and the Mystery of Mew'). He raised the staff and a bright light came forth, splitting into seven separate entities._

_Satoshi blinked then counted the lights again. "Am I seeing things?" He asked Ibuki._

_Ibuki looked where he was and gasped, her eyes widening. "Someone must not have been picked up but was still chosen," she said, looking at Wataru._

_Wataru nodded, seeing the same thing as well. "Not just that," he said, "but one of the candidates were deemed strong enough that their partner is a Riolu."_

_The king's gaze looked to where they were looking, as each of the candidates were paired up with their partners. Soon, only the Riolu was left, and it was looking around, trying to find its partner. "What is the meaning of this?" he asked the head Guardian._

"_I do not know, my king. It appears that his partner is not among the candidates." The guardian said, bowing his head slightly. "Perhaps we should let him head to where his chosen is."_

_The king nodded, and with that, the Riolu took off, looking through the crowd._

"_It seems you were right, Wataru," Satoshi said. "Something did happen."_

_Wataru glared at him as the Riolu headed for them. The crowd began to murmur as they realized that a royal had been chosen. Satoshi didn't realize what was happening until he felt something pull on his pant legs and he looked down to see the Riolu staring at him._

_The king stood from his throne, furious. "No! I refuse to let my heir train to be a guardian," he said, moving forward to try and move Satoshi away from the Riolu._

"_It would be of no use, sire. The boy has been chosen. Not even you can go against the will of aura," the guardian said, putting a hand on the king's shoulder._

_The king looked at him then sighed. "Fine, but he will still be trained to take my place when I die."_

"_Of course, my king."_

_Satoshi couldn't believe his ears. "Really, father?" he asked, hopeful._

"_Not even I'm stupid enough to go against the will of aura. Just train hard and bring honor to our family name." he said._

_Satoshi's eyes lit up and he hugged his father. "Thank you," he said. Letting go of his father, Satoshi started walking to where the other candidates were, but before he could reach them, he fell to the ground, clutching his head._

"_Satoshi!" Ibuki screamed. Her tear-stained face was the last thing he saw before it all went black._

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Ash sat up in her bed, sweat pouring off her brow as her partner Pikachu fell off her chest onto her lap. 'There was that dream again,' he thought, wiping her forehead. She'd been having odd dreams lately, one's of him as a prince of an old kingdom and some of her friends and family were there as well. She turned on the light on the desk next to her bed and stood up, stretching.

'I need to stop drinking hot chocolate before bed,' she thought as she padded out of the room and headed down to the kitchen to get a drink of water. Sipping the water, she looked out the window at the stars. She had just returned from her journey in the Unova region, managing to become the runner up this time.

She sighed, wishing she could tell her friends the truth, that she was actually a girl instead of the boy they thought her to be. Only those in Pallet Town, Iris, N, and Cilan knew the truth, though the last three only knew as she had jumped in between the two legendary dragons of Unova, Reshiram and Zekrom, to try and stop them. She was still recovering from that, and thus, Cilan and Iris decided to join him, as well as getting some experience for their training.

"Ash?" A voice asked.

Ash turned and saw Cilan standing in the doorway to the kitchen, rubbing his eyes.

"Sorry if I woke you, Cilan," she said, placing her empty glass in the sink.

"It's okay. I just needed a drink of water myself. I guess I'm just not used to the difference yet," Cilan said as he headed for the sink. "What woke you up?"

"I had one of those dreams again," she said. The dreams had started soon after she was released from the hospital and had gotten more confusing.

Cilan nodded. "I see, well try and get some more sleep. From what I hear, we're headed to Rota tomorrow and I heard the place is amazing."

"It is, don't worry about that. I can show you guys around," Ash agreed as she headed back to her room. "Night Cilan," she said, before she disappeared.

"Night Ash," Cilan said softly before he headed back to the guest room he had been given.

**Author's note: Whoo! There's the first chapter of my story, and let me tell you, that was harder than I thought it would be. I have honestly never written a Pokémon story before and thus I want your opinions. Let me know what you think and what could be better. I will also answer any questions you might have. Also, this Pokélantis is an older one than what appeared in the show. This one has the same history as Atlantis, which sank beneath the waves to never be seen again. Hope you like and adieu!**

**~Selene – daughter of the sea**


	2. Rota

**Rebirth of a Hero**

**Author's note: Hello everyone, Selene-daughter of the sea here again. I hope you've all enjoyed my story so far. Now, I've had a guest ask why I have a girl!Ash, and the reason is that it is my story and I can do what I want with it. I'm sorry that I haven't updated my Harry Potter story, but I will get to that soon, I promise.**

**Oh, and I'm sorry for any of the mistakes I made in the last chapter, as I thought I had gotten them all. I will make sure I did this time before I post the chapter, I promise.**

**Also, I have a new job so my updates will be even more out of whack, and for that I am sorry. But the job is one that is to my liking so that is what counts. **

**Anyway, onto the next chapter of **_**Rebirth of a Hero!**_

**Key:**

"Speech"

'Thought'

~Pokémon translation~

"_Speech through Aura"_

_Dreams_

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. If I did, I wouldn't have to get a new job and I'd make it better than what it is.**

Chapter 2~

Rota

Ash sat in the helicopter along with Cilan and Iris as they took it to reach Rota faster, as it would take longer if they walked.

"I can't wait to see the place," Iris said, looking out the window. "From what I've read and heard about it, Rota sounds amazing."

"It is," Ash agreed, nodding her head in agreement. She began to describe what it looks like, Cilan and Iris hanging onto her every word. "It also has two distinct landmarks: Cameran Palace and the Tree of Beginning. There's also amazing Pokémon life, not to mention the competition that was held there last time I was there."

"Oh?" Cilan asked.

"Yep, it's basically a competition for who becomes the 'Guardian of Aura' for the year. Of course, considering what happened last time I was there, they may not have the competition anymore. I doubt they would get rid of the festival though. It was created in honor of a hero that died to protect the kingdom a long time ago."

"Wow, I bet you saw a lot of Pokémon there," Iris said, Axew sticking out of her hair.

"Ax Axew," it said, nodding in agreement. ~I bet as well~

"Yeah, it was also there that I learned about Aura." At that, Ash quieted, looking out the window.

Cilan and Iris exchanged looks at that, worried for their friend.

"Ash?" Iris asked, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Sorry, it's just a hard for me. I still remember what happened last time. I lost someone I could honestly call a friend," Ash said, clenching her fist.

"What happened?" Cilan asked as he leaned forward. He was honestly worried for the girl. He could tell that something had happened and that Ash had truly never gotten over it.

"I'll tell you some other time. Anyway, it looks like we'll be there soon. I can't wait for you to meet the others." Ash turned back, a smile pulling at her lips, even if it didn't reach her eyes.

"Pika," Pikachu said, nodding. ~Yeah~

"It would be good to see Dawn again, and the other people you traveled with," Cilan said. All three leaned back as the helicopter began its descent into Rota.

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(With Brock, Dawn, Tracey, Misty, May, Max, and Gary)

"They're late," Misty said, her eyebrow twitching as the group waited for Ash and friends to land. She was wearing the same outfit from when Togepi had evolved and left to help protect the Mirage Kingdom.

"I'm sure they'll be here soon, Misty. They're coming from Pallet Town. It's not exactly a walk in the park. Their traveling a faster way so as to get here in time," Brock said as he scanned the skies. He was wearing his usual outfit of green pants and an orange top with brown pockets on it.

Tracey was leaning against a wall nearby as he sketched all the Pokémon that he could see. "I'm sure he'll be here soon," Tracey said. "His mom called and said that they had left not long after breakfast."

Gary snorted at that thought. 'I can't believe they actually think Ash is a boy. Then again, she has been able to pull it off. I'm just surprised no one's figured it out yet.' He thought. He was also scanning the skies.

"Who are you guys waiting for?" A voice asked.

May yelped and jumped, turning towards the voice. Behind the group stood two figures with their arms crossed. Brock's, Misty's, May's, and Max's eyes widened at them. One of them, the female, was wearing a knee-length blue body suite with a black cape over it and black boots. Her blue hair pulled back in a high pony-tail. Her companion was even taller, with his shocking red hair spiked. He was wearing a black suit with a red cape over his shoulders.

"Lance, Clair. What are you guys doing here?" Misty asked.

"We came because we were asked. Something about a major deal going on that we need to be here for," Clair said. "So, who are you guys waiting for?"

"Ash and his two new traveling companions," Max said, a Kirlia at his side. "We all said we'd meet here, but they haven't arrived yet."

"Ah," Lance said as he shared a look with his slightly younger sister. They should have known that the group was waiting for their cousin. Even if Ash didn't live in Blackthorn, through his mom, he was considered a part of their clan. Delia had left not long after meeting Ash's dad and had never returned.

"There it is!" Dawn shouted, pointing at where a helicopter was descending towards the landing pad. "I wonder how Cilan and Iris are." She mused.

"You've met them?" May asked.

Dawn nodded. "Yeah, in Undella Town. Unova's a really neat region, even if they don't host Pokémon Contests."

"I've heard that it's pretty amazing," Lance said as the group watched the helicopter land. A door on the side opened and one of the people inside stepped out. The group watched as the guy that was wearing a waiter's outfit with green hair reached up and helped a girl with dark purple hair out of the helicopter. Soon after, the last of the trio, a Pikachu on his (her) shoulder got out as well.

"That's Cilan and Iris!" Dawn said, recognizing the two new people that were with Ash. "Come and meet them." She headed for the trio with the others following her.

The two groups met in the middle of the runway and looked at each other, unsure.

"Uh, hey guys," Ash said, rubbing the back of her neck. "These are the two people who traveled with me in Unova."

Cilan stepped forward and bowed slightly. "My name is Cilan, and I'm a Pokémon connoisseur."

"What's that?" Max asked.

"We basically rate the bond between a trainer and his or her Pokémon," Cilan explained.

"Cool," May said. She was intrigued by that. She didn't know that there were different types of Pokémon scholars. She thought it interesting that there were more than just Trainers, Breeders, Watchers, Researchers, and Coordinators.

"Not to mention one of the three gym leaders of Striation City," Iris piped up. "I'm Iris by the way. I'm training to become a dragon master. I'm from the Village of Dragons. Oh, and my partner Axew is hiding in my hair."

"Wow," Gary said as he looked at the trio. "I'm guessing a lot happened since we last met, eh Ashy?"

A tick mark appeared on Ash's head as she tried to rein in her temper. "Yeah, I also met some cool new Pokémon. Oh, let me introduce the others." Ash rubbed the back of her neck.

"You think?" Iris asked.

"The one that called me Ashy is my old friend and rival Gary Oak. You both know Dawn already. The one trying to get Clair's attention," Ash rolled her eyes as she said this, " is Brock. The red-head is Misty, and the other two are May and her younger brother Max. Oh, and Tracey's the one with the sketchbook." Ash introduced everyone.

"Nice to meet you all," Cilan said, bowing again. "Yet I see you missed two people in your introductions, Ash."

Iris looked and her eye widened. "I can't believe you don't know who they are, Cilan. That's Lance, one of the top dragon masters in the world."

"Not to mention the Champion of Johto and part of the G-men," Ash said.

Lance nodded. "I'm a little surprised you didn't introduce me, Ash," he said.

"Hey," Clair said, hitting him upside the head. "I'm Clair, I'm another dragon user. I'm also the Blackthorn City gym leader. Lance here is my older brother by a year," Clair said as she introduced herself.

Iris' eyes widened some more. "Another dragon user?" She asked. She squealed. "I love dragon types."

"Clair, Lance. What are you doing here?" Ash asked, wondering why his cousins were there.

"Your father contacted us. He mentioned that he had found something that involved us and as you were meeting your friends here in Rota he asked us to head over here as well. He'll be meeting us here two days from now as the festival is tomorrow," Clair said. She noticed the minute flinch Ash gave at the mention of her father.

"I didn't know your father was alive, Ash. Why don't you ever mention him?" Dawn asked as the group headed towards the castle.

"Because, I haven't seen him since I was seven. He's a researcher, but for ancient myths, kind of like Brandon and Professor Hale does. He can also use aura to a bit of an extent." Ash explained.

"I thought that you just learned about aura when you first came here, Ash," Cilan said.

"That is what I remembered. Mom told me a couple of days ago, as she wondered why I froze at the mention of it. I just don't remember seeing him ever using it."

"That's so sad. Why did he leave?" Dawn asked.

"He had gotten a call about an old myth that surrounds aura. The island of Pokélantis," Ash said, not noticing how Brock, May, and Max froze at that. "So he decided to go check it out. He had decided that since I had three years before I could become a trainer, I was old enough that he could continue his research. I haven't seen him since, even though he does call mom on occasion."

"What myth?" Cilan asked. He had noticed how three of their group had frozen slightly at the mention of Pokélantis and he wondered if they had had a run in with it.

"The one about the island that sank into the sea, thus having a lot of the water type Pokémon come into being," Ash enlightened.

Brock, May, and Max breathed a sigh at that. They thought he had been talking about another Pokélantis. They still remembered what happened in Pewter City and were thankful that Brandon had been there to help stop the ghost king.

"Come on, we're almost there anyway. Let's go and get rooms for the night. The festival starts tomorrow and I want to be able to get the same costume as last time," Ash said and she started running.

The rest of the group glanced at each other and followed, most of them wondering what he had meant by costume.

**Author's note: Well, here's the next chapter. Hope it sates your thirst. And if you're having trouble understanding the family lines I'll re-explain them here. In this life, Clair and Lance are siblings while Ash is their cousin. His mom had been a part of the dragon clan in Blackthorn City until she met Ash's dad, a researcher who was in the city at the time. Delia fell in love with him and followed him, never looking back, even if she did still keep in touch some with her family. Hope you like this. Oh, and my updates are going to be even more sporadic as I got a new job. ~throws confetti in the air~ I love it, so sorry if you don't like that I'm going to not update as often. Adios!**

**~Selene-daughter of the sea**


	3. Guardianof Aura Festival

**Rebirth of a Hero**

**Author's note: Hello everyone. I'm here with my new chapter for Rebirth of a Hero.**

**Oh, and for those who were reading my Harry Potter story, I will not be reposting it. Sorry about that.**

**I'm glad that people are enjoying this story. It's been running through my head for months, even though it became different in the beginning than I had anticipated. Oh well, there will be more scenes in the future about the past, don't worry.**

**Well, here's the next chapter for **_**Rebirth of a Hero!**_

**Key:**

"Speech"

'Thought'

"_Speech through Aura"_

_Dreams_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon in any way, shape or form.**

Chapter 3~

Guardian of Aura Festival

The next day, the group headed to the place where costumes were being offered to those who didn't bring one. Ash, May, Max, and Brock had explained about what Ash had said about the costumes and they decided to go there first thing after breakfast.

"I wonder if they're holding the competition," Ash said as she searched through the racks to find the outfit she had worn last time. "With what happened, I mean, will they still have it?"

"From what I've heard while we were waiting for you, it's still going on. It's a pretty big part of the festival in any case," Max said as he watched the others going through the racks. He had found the same outfit that he had worn last time in his size and already changed. Pikachu sat beside him.

"If that's true, then I'm entering it," Ash said with conviction. "It was a blast last time."

May giggled, coming out in her dress. She, Max, and Brock had also decided to where the same outfits as before. "More literally than figuratively," she nodded her head.

Ash blushed. "It wasn't my fault that Lucario thought I was his old teacher," she snapped. Ash clenched her fist as she remembered what had happened and then the trouble with the Tree of Beginning.

"What do you mean?" Iris asked, coming out in a pink dress. (A/n: It's one like she wears in Black/White 2 without the crown)

"It has something to do with the Tree, doesn't it?" Lance asked. He and Clair were off to the side, watching the others. They had decided not to where any costumes so they waited for the others to finish.

Ash flinched when she heard that, looking down. "It does, but I'm not telling you now. Dad will probably want to hear about what happened as it has to do with his research."

"It wasn't your fault, Ash," Brock said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"You don't know that, Brock. You weren't there in the end, and neither were May and Max." Ash took a deep breath and found the outfit she wanted. "I'll meet you guys outside. I just need to be alone for a minute." She disappeared into one of the changing rooms.

Gary looked at Brock with a raised eyebrow. He silently asked what that was about.

"We'll tell you what we know while we're waiting for Ash. I've never seen him shook up this much as when we tried to save Celebi from that hunter," Brock said.

Misty nodded, she remembered that look, even if she didn't know what happened here in Rota. She was wearing a pale silver dress that had what looked like small blue fins on the back. 'I wonder if he blames himself for that as well,' she thought as the group headed outside.

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(Outside)

As the group waited for Ash to come out, Brock, May, and Max took turns explaining what they could about what happened when they had been here last time. Cilan looked at the door they had come through, worried. 'Ash,' he thought sadly.

Clair and Lance shared a glance. They were surprised to hear about that, as they had never known before. Lance hadn't even been told all that by Kit, who had turned herself into the G-men after leaving Rota. She worked with them now, trying to find areas where they were most needed.

"I noticed Ash was limping a bit. What happened to him in Unova?" Tracey asked.

Cilan and Iris gulped, looking at each other. The rest of the group, along with Clair and Lance looked at the two. "That's not our story to tell, but let's just say that if a legendary is going to be in trouble, Ash will somehow find a way to be in the same area," Cilan finally said.

Misty snorted. "That's an understatement. You won't believe how many times that got us into trouble when I was traveling with him." Brock nodded as well.

"What legendaries have you seen?" Gary asked. He was hoping to learn about some new ones.

"There was that two times with Reshiram and Zekrom, then Meloetta, Kyurem, Cobalion, Victini,..." Cilan started but Gary interrupted him.

"You've seen Victini?" He asked.

"Saw him, helped save him. The usual, now can we finish?" Iris asked.

Gary blushed and nodded.

"Then there was that trouble with Genesect and Mewtwo. Oh and Terrakion, Thundurus, Tornadus, Virizion, and Landorus," Cilan finished then saw Brock and Misty's wide eyes. "What?" He asked.

"You've seen Mewtwo?" Misty asked shakily.

Iris nodded. "Why?"

Misty and Brock shared a look, wondering what made Mewtwo help. They both knew that Ash was the only human Mewtwo truly trusted, so that must have been it.

"Misty, Brock, and I ran into him a couple of times before that, even if the first time is still a bit fuzzy. I'm remembering more of it though, but I don't know about them," a voice said behind the group. They turned and saw Ash standing there; wearing what looked like the traditional Aura Guardian's outfit, complete with the gloves.

"Wow Ash, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were Riley. The only thing missing is a Lucario and you'd be his twin almost," Dawn said.

Ash clenched her hands at that. "No. One Pokémon that will probably never join me is Lucario. Even if I had the chance, I wouldn't." She shook her head, breaking those thoughts. "Come on, I asked the lady and she said that the signups for the competition were still open. I'm going to enter again and try and win," she said, a smile on her face. It didn't quite reach her eyes though.

"Tough luck, Ash. I'm going to win this one," Misty said as the group laughed and headed to the registration area.

Lance and Clair followed behind, letting the others get ahead of them. Both of them were wondering about what had happened that made Ash so jumpy.

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(Competition arena)

It had been a grueling four hours since the competition had begun. Both Misty and Ash had advanced through the competition and were about to face each other in the final round. Ash looked up and saw Queen Ilene watching, her Mime Jr. by her side.

"Let the final battle begin!" She shouted and cheers erupted.

"Let's do this, Corsola," Misty said as she called out the Pokémon she had used throughout the competition.

"Leavanny, I choose you," Ash through the Pokéball and the bug/grass combination type came out.

Dawn and May squealed at the sight. "So cute," Dawn said.

"Yeah, but really tough," Iris said. Cilan nodded in agreement.

"What kind of Pokémon is that?" Misty asked.

"Leavanny is a grass/bug combination type Pokémon native to the Unova region, Misty. The third gym leader uses one as well," Ash said.

"It doesn't look like a bug type much though," Misty said confused. "Oh well, let's end this quickly. Corsola, use Stone Edge."

"Leavanny, quick. Dodge and use String Shot." Leavanny barely jumped out of the way and fired a string shot.

"Corsola dodge!"

Corsola tried to dodge but one of it horns got caught and it was stopped.

"Alright, now use energy ball!" Ash called. She had used this technique before and done right, could do quite a bit of damage.

Leavanny fired a ball of green energy and it shot down the string shot at Corsola who was still trying to break the string shot.

"An interesting combo to use," Clair said as she watched from the stands with the others.

"What do you mean?" Brock asked.

"By using string shot to hold the opponent down and then firing an attack down the line of the string, it is almost a sure fire hit," Clair explained.

Cilan nodded. "Ash always has come up with the most interesting combinations. A flavorful taste I must say, as he likes to surprise his opponents. He truly did well in the finals of the Unova league."

"Wait, Ash won the Unova league?" May asked.

Iris shook her head. "No, he got runner up. He was beaten by a strong trainer, even though both were on their final Pokémon. Pikachu fainted just before the Samurott, thus losing the league."

"That's actually on of the best he's done in the major leagues. He's actually won a couple, though they're not part of the main league," Brock said.

"Oh?" Cilan asked.

Tracy nodded. "Yep, he's basically the Champion of the Orange Island league, even if he still let's Drake do the battling."

"Not to mention he was the first to win the Kanto Battle Frontier," Max said, pushing his glasses up on his nose.

"I never knew that," Gary said.

"I'm surprised he never told you guys." Brock shrugged and looked back at the field. "Hey, looks like the battles over."

The group looked down and saw that Brock was right, as smoke was starting to dissipate from the arena. As they watched, one of the shadows fell over and the other appeared to either be kneeling or standing at full height. They couldn't tell until the smoke cleared.

Ash reached out with her Aura, wondering if Leavanny was okay. Her Pokémon was bound to still be a bit tired from all the battles before this one and it was their toughest one yet. She smiled as she realized the results but she waited for the smoke to clear before cheering.

The smoke finally dissipated and showed all those watching a kneeling Leavanny that was breathing hard and Corsola with swirls in its eyes.

"Corsola is unable to battle. The winner of the match and the competition is Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!" The referee said.

"Alright!" Ash said, cheering. "Good job, Leavanny."

"Good job, Corsola. Take a long rest," Misty said, recalling her Pokémon. She walked over to where Ash was. "Good job, Ash. I never saw that last combo coming."

"That's me," she said, rubbing the back of her neck. "Always the one for surprises." She turned as the queen came into view.

"Well done, Ash. A truly inspiring battle. Lucario would be proud," she said.

Ash nodded. "I know, Lady Ilene."

As Ilene prepared to end the competition, a figure appeared. He was wearing a cloak and a Lucario was by his side.

"Excuse me, my lady," he said, bowing his head. "I would like to battle this young man to see if he is truly worthy of the title for this year."

Ilene blinked before looking at Ash.

"Sure, as long as you don't mind me using a different Pokémon. Leavanny's pretty tired."

"Alright then. Go ahead. Who are you, by the way?" Ilene asked the figure in the cloak.

He smiled, as he looked at them. "I'll reveal after the battle." With that, he headed to the side of the field that Misty had stood on, his Lucario following him.

"Ash?" Misty asked, worried.

"Go see the others, Misty. I'll be fine." Ash pushed her friend towards the stands as Ilene explained what was happening.

Ash recalled Leavanny as the stranger's Lucario took to the field. She mentally ran through her list of Pokémon before nodding. "Let's do this, Pikachu." She said.

Pikachu ran onto the field and faced Lucario, electricity fly out of its cheeks in anticipation.

"This will be an interesting battle," Iris said.

"It truly will be. From what I can tell that Lucario is well trained and has a strong bond with its trainer. I can't see all of what it is, though," Cilan agreed.

"Ash will win, though. He's faced tougher opponents then that guy," Max said with conviction. His eyes betrayed his thoughts though as he was worried.

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(on the field)

Ash looked at her opponent, not letting any emotions show on her face. She knew this would be a tough battle. "Pikachu, start off with thunderbolt!"

"Pika!" Pikachu shot bolts of electricity at Lucario. He knew that Ash was hoping for the element of surprise, though he didn't know if it would work.

"Lucario, dodge and use dark pulse." The cloaked man said.

Lucario dodged and sent out a wave of dark energy.

"Use Quick Attack to dodge and use electro ball!" Ash called out. She was worried about what would happen if the attack hit.

Pikachu dodged with a burst of white light and jumped into the air, sending a ball of electricity towards his opponent with his tail.

0000000

(Stands, because I'm not doing a whole battle right now, sorry)

"A tricky combo with an unusual flavor added," Cilan said as he watched the battle.

"Really, Cilan, do you have to go all connoisseur-like during this?" Iris asked, glaring at him.

"Why of course. It's what I do best and it helps me practice my skills. I will say this though, the cloaked stranger and his Lucario are in perfect sync. If I didn't know better, I'd say he could communicate silently with his Lucario," Cilan explained.

"Some Pokémon can do that though. They're most often legendaries though," Max said. "We've only met one Pokémon that could do that without being a legendary, and that was Sir Aaron's Lucario."

"Really? That's an interesting twist," Lance mused. He had a feeling about who the stranger was.

Clair nodded in agreement. She was silently watching the battle as two attacks collided, filling the air with smoke and wind blew quite a bit. "Ash's gotten stronger from the last time we battled. I'll have to battle him again, if only to see what new Pokémon he has."

000000000000000000000

(Back on the field)

Ash covered her eyes as the Aura Sphere and Electro ball collided. She knew that both Pokémon were on their last leg and the battle would soon end. Lowering her arm, she saw that the hood on the cloak that her opponent wore had been blown back. Her eyes widened as she saw who it was hiding.

'Riley?' She thought, surprised that he was here, though it made since with the Lucario. She wondered why he was here though.

In the stands, Dawn and Brock's eyes widened. "That's Riley," Dawn said, gasping.

"Who?" May asked, turning towards her fellow coordinator.

"He's someone we met on Iron Island in the Sinnoh Region. He was training to become an Aura Guardian. I wonder if he succeeded," Brock said as he leaned forward.

"I've heard of him. He's helped the G-men a bit with some of our Sinnoh operations," Lance said.

Back on the field the smoke was clearing, showing Lucario and Pikachu both standing. Pikachu was breathing heavily as his cheeks sparked.

"Pikachu!" Ash called, worried for her first friend.

Lucario took a step forward then collapsed, swirls appearing in his eyes.

"Lucario is unable to battle. The winner is Ash Ketchum.!" The referee shouted.

Pikachu collapsed soon after that announcement and Ash ran over to her partner. "Good job, buddy."

"I see you've trained harder since we last met, Ash. How's your goal coming along?" Riley asked, walking towards the pair. He was wearing his usual getup with the cloak still resting on his shoulders.

"I've gotten closer this time. I just haven't decided where I'm going next," Ash said, smiling slightly. "How's your training coming along?"

As Riley was about to reply, Queen Ilene stepped forward. "Well done, you two." She said, nodding at the pair before turning to the crowd. "That concludes this year's competition. I present to you this year's Guardian of Aura, Ash Ketchum!"

The crowd in the stands roared in approval as Ash suddenly groaned, hitting his head.

"What's wrong, Ash?" Riley asked.

"I just remembered what happened last time I won," she groaned and Pikachu snickered at his trainer.

000000000000000

(Later that night, ball room)

Ash sat in the same seat as last time she had been in Rota, watching as the couples on the dance floor twirling around. She sighed, which caught Riley's attention.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm just a bit bored," Ash said. "So, you never answered my question earlier."

"Oh yeah, well I finished my studies and Lady Ilene granted me my place. I still travel around some, wondering about the mysteries of aura. I found some interesting things come to think about it," Riley mused as he stood to the side.

"Really? That's great, Riley." Ash ran her hand over the staff in her hands. It was the same one that had held the apprentice of Sir Aaron prisoner until she and her friends came the first time and he was released.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm just remembering what happened last time I was here. A lot has happened since then. Especially as it happened during the time that the Tree of Beginning was in trouble." Ash explained. She closed her eyes as she remembered Lucario pushing her out of the way so that he could finish helping, even at the price of his death.

"You do seem to attract a lot of trouble," a voice said behind them.

Ash and Riley turned, Ash standing up. "Dad?" She asked, confused. "What are you doing here? Lance and Clair said you wouldn't be here until tomorrow."

"I got to Rota early and decided to come here," he shrugged. "I saw your match by the way. That was some quick thinking on both of your parts."

Ash blushed slightly. "Daaad," she whined slightly.

Mr. Ketchum smiled slightly. "Don't worry. I'm proud of you, Ash. And your Riley, right?" he asked.

Riley nodded. "Yes, sir." He recognized an older aura guardian and reacted accordingly.

"That's good. We'll need another Aura user for what I've found out." Mr. Ketchum sighed. "Lady Ilene? Do you mind if we borrow one of your conference rooms tomorrow? This will take some time to explain and I also want to hear of Ash's adventures."

"Of course, Guardian Ketchum." Ilene said. She announced the end of the night and Ash raised the staff in the same position as Sir Aaron had in the past. With it raised, fireworks lit up the night.

"I'll be attending the meeting as well, if you don't mind?" Ilene asked.

Mr. Ketchum nodded and the quartet watched the fireworks from where the thrones were, none noticing the eyes watching them silently, nor the inner turmoil of one of their own.

**Author's note: there you guys go. If you're wondering why the gang is referring to Ash as a guy, it is because most of them don't know he's a she. Hope that clears up the confusion. Anyway, bye for now!**

**~Selene-daughter of the sea**


End file.
